this is me

This is me.


This is me after I got my nails done: a celebration of a concert that went well and now I don't have to play a guitar for the next 3 months.



This is me, humiliated to be a teacher at my school today.



This is me not knowing whether to laugh or cry as our entire school, on a field trip, walked out of a musical today during intermisson because the principal got his wires crossed and thought the musical was only 1 hour long when it was actually 2hrs and 15 mins. The kids hadn't had lunch yet. The bus drivers had to pick up kids at the high school. The director stopped the entire show and announced our bus numbers over the sound system. Other schools were there. The kids paid $5 to go see this.



This is me after a glass or two of wine. This is me thinking that there are only 8 more days of school left.

taste of summer

It's been a great weekend: beautiful weather, family time, and hubby and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary.

Hubby and I went bike riding, we saw the new Indiana Jones movie, and we went out to eat at the Boathouse Bistro.

We took the girls bike riding the next day, their first time out on a trail! We had some accidents but all were minor. All in all a perfect weekend.

monkey house program (part II)

Principal's really been hilarious through this whole ordeal.

I haven't had much time to work with the kids. I had a student teacher for 8 weeks up through the beginning of this month. Then on my first week back to teaching I came down with strep throat (right after the girls and I went to the farm). It was a nasty case of strep and I was off the whole week.

My friend, our PE teacher called from school to see how I was: I haven't been this sick since I was a kid.

When she gave the update in the lunch room, principal instead of expressing concern or asking how I was, says, "But she's got that big program coming up...when's she coming back?"

He emails me later that day asking questions about the program.

Then on my first day back, during morning bus duty, he asks me, "So how's the music program coming along?" I wanted to tell him, no different that it was 9 weeks ago when I last taught. But I said, "fine, just fine."

My usual stratgy is to perform pieces that they had previously learned, so it really was just a matter of polishing the pieces, and setting the forms in stone, but he didn't know that. My ears can only take so many repetitions of their pieces before I go bonkers.

He would really lay an egg if he knew I showed them "Stomp Out Loud" after I was done rehearsing with them this week.

monkey house

So, just a few more days left in the monkey house (school) until summer break. I'm working hard to get them (the monkeys) ready for their spring program. I like the programs to be short and sweet. The toughest part is getting the kids on and off the platforms quietly. But I have some help from the art and gym teacher this time. We reworked the schedule so they could help me.

This is my 3rd program and I'm feeling better about this one than with the previous ones. It's not that I've created anything wonderful, it's just that I (and a couple glasses of wine) have decided "it's all good".

Too bad the "concert nightmares" have started again. (kids everywhere, mass chaos, I lose it, etc...) I guess my subconscience isn't in agreement with me yet.

meme

Woo Hoo! I got memed! Anyhoo, Sharon of Chickenlips Knitting tagged me, thanks Sharon.

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I just graduated from a two year college in PA and was getting ready to transfer to WVU to finish my 4 year degree in music ed. It was a big transition time. I would be moving out of my parents house and living on my own in a different state. I needed money to furnish my new place so, I picked up a summer job as a full time waitress at "Bob's" (my nick-name for a well known chain of family restaurants) in pittsburgh. I did pretty well there, but worked my tail off. I filled in for vacations, so I opened, closed and did everything in-between. And, I lost weight, running around taking everybody's orders. Instead of putting my tip money in a bank (like normal people), I let it pile up on the dresser until my mother complained about it. My then Sweetie (now my hubby) and I finally counted it, hundreds of one dollar bills!

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

Oh geez, I did most of them already: make bread, make homemade chx noodle soup (which includes wrestling with a raw chicken, my fave activity, not!), wrestle with hubby :-), laundry, relax.

3) Snacks I enjoy: Oh brother! Doritos (banned from my pantry due to my expanding waistline), pretzels dipped in honey mustard (a poor replacement for doritos, but it will do), chocolate, cup of tea, scones

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Well...the hypothetical or reality? Hypothetically, I would live in a way that would help others, donate money, work overseas, all that good stuff. Doesn't that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Yeah...In reality, I'd probably buy houses in various beautiful locations, invest so that I'd still be making money, have my husband quit his job so he could train and race full time, and maybe work when I felt like it :-)

5) Places I have lived: various locations in southwestern PA, and north central WV.

6) 6 peeps I wanna know more about:
Marie Louise,because of her lovely sophisticated blogging style
Good Yarns, she's brave enough to knit (horrors) for her own off-spring
Patty, because of her supermom abilities, pics included!
Carol, she's brave enough to knit for....HUBBY!
Tama of Den of Chaos, a good dose of humor with common cents
Throws like a Girl, love her rocker girl style and sense of humor
And you if you want to play along.

wow, it has been awhile

My girls and I went to Round Hill Farm, a county park in Allegheny County in PA. It's a working farm, and you just walk through the barns as you wish. You can get a tour, but it's not necessary. My Mom used to take me there all the time when I was young. So now I enjoy taking my girls when we're in the area.

I used my mother's day gift to take pics. That's right, hubby purchased a casio exilim, a camera I've been drooling over for a while. It takes pics, movies, and I can fit it into my small purse. It's so convenient to take with me.